Can you encrypt text messages

With either a messaging app dedicated to sending encrypted text messages or an app that lets you encrypt the message separately, you can send encrypted SMS messages. This is as simple as checking that encryption is enabled and clicking send. The easiest way to encrypt a message is by using an app that does it for you. Services like Signal and WhatsApp will encrypt your messages before you send them, so only the recipient can read them.

However, you can use any app you trust, as most of them follow a similar five-step process. Enter your phone number. The app needs your phone number to register and verify your account.

It will now ask you to enter profile details , such as your name, a picture and a secure pin code. These are all end-to-end encrypted and kept secure, but you can use a fake name and no picture for extra privacy.

To send an encrypted message, tap the pencil in the lower right-hand corner and choose a Signal user. Those on our list take similar approaches to security and privacy.

The encryption protocols work in the background, enabling you to focus on your messages, which is basically the same as sending an ordinary text message. The Signal Technology Foundations — previously known as Open Whisper Systems — not only created Signal, but also made its own end-to-end encryption protocol. Signal is an open-source project supported by grants and donations. Without it needing to use your data to sell ad space for a profit, you can be sure that Signal is keeping everything private.

Unlike some other encrypted messaging apps, the information that Signal stores is quite limited. Other than your phone number and the last date you connected, it wipes basically everything else as soon as possible. This is why many journalists and other experts, including Edward Snowden, see Signal as the best messaging app for user privacy. More than a billion people use WhatsApp to send messages, but some users might not know Facebook bought it in However, the actual content of your message is still safe, so it should be fine for many users.

If that concerns you, check out one of our suggested WhatsApp alternatives. Telegram is cloud-based, meaning you can access your messages from various devices and keep data in the cloud. It lets you send encrypted messages, files and participate in real-time chat with groups of up to , members. The app is also open source, and the company discloses the most important parts of its encryption, called MTProto. Said secret chats also let you set your messages to self-destruct after a certain amount of time and are device-specific, meaning you can only access them from the device of origin.

So, if you want large groups with helpful bots, but still need the option to send encrypted text messages, Telegram can be a good choice. Threema goes beyond the standard features, such as end-to-end encryption, voice calls and messages. Instead, you get a random, eight-digit Threema ID when you start the app for the first time.

The second is a key pair — a public key and a private key that are necessary for encryption. When someone sends you a message, they encrypt it using your public key. Only your private key, which remains on your device, can decrypt it. Open the Android Market app on your device and install the Secret Message app. You can also send encrypted messages over email, Facebook or Twitter.

The recipient can use the secret key and the Secret Message app or website to decrypt and read the message. Open Unbreakable SMS and set an encryption password, known as a cipher key in the app. You can also send the message over email or post it on Facebook. If the recipient has Unbreakable SMS installed, the app automatically alerts the recipient when an encrypted message arrives and prompts her for a password. You would be right to be cautious, and try to reverify their identity again.

You can read more about how Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Wire allow you to verify your keys and warn you of key changes. Spoiler alert: Signal is the safest choice. Encrypted message backups are usually not encrypted in the cloud: A very important point here — often, your encrypted messages are not encrypted when they are backed up to the cloud. That means the government can demand that your cloud provider — like Apple or Google — to retrieve and turn over your encrypted messages from its servers.

You should not back up your messages to the cloud if this is a concern. Many also offer desktop versions for responding faster. But over the past few years, most of the major vulnerabilities have been in the buggy desktop software. If an update requires you to restart the app or your computer, you should do it straight away. You should strongly consider setting an expiry timer on your conversations to ensure that older messages will be deleted and disappear.

Keep your apps updated: One of the best ways to make sure you stay secure and get new features! Security bugs are found often, but you may not always hear about them.